King of Heroes
by Cypher0120
Summary: Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes. Really, what does he have planned, summoned in this world? Take on the Hero King, Algol? Take on the God of War? Fall in love with someone?
1. God of War

**The King of Heroes**

"_Spirits of the past, move among us. Be guided by the light of this world and visit upon us." _The hooded man chanted, scythe in hand and his other hand held up above the summoning circle. This was Zasalamel's response towards the summoning of a supposedly ancient Greek hero by one of those fools who thought they can be controlled. This certainly disrupted the balance in the world, and he aimed to fix it.

There was an explosion of light, and Zasalamael flew meters back. What happened? Did his own summoning fail? No...standing in front of him was a pale figure in golden armor. A demi-god much like his enemy's own summon.

"I see, so I am summoned here." The man replied, red eyes staring at Zasalamel. "And I guess it is safe to assume that you are my master?" he asked.

"No, my lord. I am your humble servant." He answered, bowing lightly.

The man he summoned laughed. "Ah, it is good to hear those words from people like you. Now rise, you have gained my respect." The young man replied, Zasalamel following his orders. "I assume you know my true identity then?"

"Yes. You are the son of Lugalbanda, the third king of Uruk, and the goddess, Ninsun. The king of heroes, Gilgamesh." Zasalamel replied.

"Correct." The pale figure replied. "I do have one question though. I don't believe the Holy Grail was ever summoned in this era yet. So why have you summoned me?" asked Gilgamesh.

"Holy Grail?" wondered Zasalamel. "I summoned you as an act of desperation. Please forgive me. A warrior has also been summoned, one whose powers seem to rival that of any person alive. If he is to be left roaming around, the balance in this world will be easily tipped." He said.

"The most powerful person in the world?" asked Gilgamesh.

"Yes, he is supposedly the son of a god as well. Rumours about him being a physical embodiment of the God of War." Zasalamel continued.

"I guess he would be able to provide a worthy challenge. Once I have finished him off, I will see what the rest of this world has to offer before I disappear." Gilgamesh said, looking up at the sky. "Now tell me, where is this so-called God of War?"

* * *

"Servants of the gods, meet your doom!" shouted the Spartan, swinging his chained blades at the two Athenian women.

Their defense was easily shattered, and as both fell down on the ground, Kratos was ready for the killing blow.

"Sophitia..." the younger of the two whispered, seeing her older sister fall unconscious from a broken shield arm. She herself could barely move, and it looked like they were about to be killed very soon. Cassandra didn't expect to die this way, not like this at least. However...

A sword seemed to fly out like an arrow, burying itself into the ground in front of the Spartan. Kratos jumped back, dodging the blade and looked up at an overlooking hill. "Who interrupts my battle?!" he called out, glaring at his challenger.

"Fool, you do not know your place, mongrel." The young man frowned. "You call fighting mortals and crushing their hopes a battle? That's pretty low for a god." He said, walking down the hill.

"And you think you can do better? You cannot defeat the God of War" Kratos replied. "You are not my enemy, stay out of my way."

"And you are wrong in that regard." Said Gilgamesh. "I myself am certainly your enemy. Your kind and mine never truly got along well, but now let's test who is the better fighter. A so-called 'god' of Greece, or me, a 'god' of ancient Uruk." He grinned.

"You can do nothing to stop me!" Kratos roared, running straight at the golden-armoured man and ready to lop his head off.

In response however, Gilgamesh snapped his fingers. "Gate of Babylon." He whispered. Before the Spartan knew it, weapons were being hurled at him from a space behind his opponent, halting his attack as he was forced to block the seemingly unending barrage. Swinging the Blade of Athena all around him, he stopped most of the blades from getting through, but few still managed to graze his body and give him various cuts. They were like arrows, not wielded by the hand but just fired at him indiscriminately.

"What in Hades?" he gasped, but didn't falter.

"You're just going to stand there? Alright then, I will make this more enjoyable." Laughed Gilgamesh.

"Stop that laughter. I will kill you!" shouted Kratos.

* * *

"Mmm..." Sophitia murmured, looking up. She had expected to have died already, but apparently someone saved them.

"Sis...stay quiet." Cassandra whispered. Using most of her strength, she had dragged both her and her older sister out of the way. Though thankful of the person's interruption, she had to admit she felt fear.

She watched the Spartan let out a roar. His swinging chained blades blows up dust and turns rubble into powder. He appeared no different from before. No, he was more determined than ever and with a more murderous intent.

A storming whirlwing. Kratos' blades are repelled each time by the weapons of the person who saved them. The one reigning from the throne of rubble in front of the Spartan.

Many swords are released from the space behind that man, Kratos having no choice but to avoid them or block them without the ability to make a proper counter-attack.

"No way..." Cassandra whispered.

The tragedy continues. Kratos is repelled without getting near his enemy. Whatever magic items he may have, they are not going to work against the myriad of weapons with different properties.

It's not because Kratos is being defeated without being able to do anything. That man who is fighting him...is beyond belief.

It's hard for her to breathe in this circumstance. Kratos defies description. His body of steel, his superhuman strength, and his magic on top of that. He is not someone they could match.

But the golden-armoured man does not retreat from such an opponent and overwhelms the Spartan using the demonic and holy swords he releases.

When Cassandra looked up, she can see that Sophitia was pale as well. It's only natural. The place in front of them was a land of death. They'll die instantly if they enter it.

The man is a demon. He has a brutality different from the Spartan. When faced with an opponent, there is no other way out other than his opponent's death.

Kratos will not reach his enemy. His brute courage will prove futile and he will end his life as a mere target. Gilgamesh understood that. That is why he is standing there and provoking the foolishly advancing Spartan.

Kratos does not have a way to win. It's something that Gilgamesh, and even herself understands. And probably, even Kratos understood as well.

"Ha, as expected from a mongrel. You can only fight. I had high hopes for you as a fellow demigod, but it seems I expected too much!" laughed Gilgamesh. "Then..." he murmured, "Let me finish you off now. It will be unpleasant for you to come any closer.

At his signal, the numerous blades descend on Kratos. He repelled most of them, and at the same time...gets impaled by quite a few that passed through his defense. He started to fall, but...he stands his ground and pulls the blades out of his body.

"What?!"

The exclamation of surprise came from Gilgamesh as Kratos advanced on his enemy.

"Damn, a mere target survived my attack." Frowned Gilgamesh.

"I won't lose!" Kratos shouted, summoning the Blade of Olympus in both hands. The blade charged with energy as he ran straight at Gilgamesh.

"You lowlife." Said Gilgamesh. Numerous arrows are released. Was it his last charge, or did Kratos get used to all the attacks? The Spartan repels the raining weapons with a single swing of his massive sword and approached their owner.

He swings the blade, the weapon that has not been raised against the man rips through the air-!

"Heaven's Chain – Enkidu!" Gilgamesh shouted, raising his hand. And from the same space as the swords that flew out, The God of War is captured by numerous appearing chains.

"What kind of weapon is it?" Cassandra whispered.

The chain that appeared out of nowhere confines Kratos as if binding space itself. The chain twists the Spartan's arms and bends them in a direction they should not go. They tighten mercilessly, Kratos still holding on to the Blade of Olympus which he cannot use anymore.

"Damn, you still won't die? This chain once bound the Bull of Heaven but even this does not seem to be enough to finish you." Gilgamesh muttered.

The whole area is filled with creaking sounds of the chains, Kratos still trying to break free.

"It is useless you puppet. Not even the gods can escape these chains. No, it will become stronger the more divine one is. This is a chain made to bind the gods, it will not allow you to escape." Taunted Gilgamesh. And so, he points to Kratos as if to denote the end.

"Impossible, I am being defeated by this?!" Kratos said.

"Oh very well, I will give you an honourable death since you are a fellow demigod after all." Said Gilgamesh. "With a sword that only I, the king of heroes possess."

Reaching behind him, Gilgamesh pulled out a sword. No...it looked more like an incongruent three-segmented drill attached to the hilt of a sword. "You wield a blade of the gods, correct? Then I will destroy it with the most powerful weapon in my possession." Explained Gilgamesh, stepping back and getting into some sort of stance.

"I have the original models of most legendary weapons. But they are all nameless, and I am not their only possessor." He said. "But this is different. This sword is truly a sword that the king of heroes possesses. It has no name, so I just call it 'Ea.'" He said, Kratos still failing at trying to break his binds.

"Wake up, Ea."

The cylindrical sword, Ea, roars. In response to Gilgamesh's words, the three parts turn with a whirring sound.

"Enuma Elish!" shouted Gilgamesh. The raging torrent of energy incinerates trees, and the light crashing into Kratos was comparable to that of an exploding sun.

* * *

It's over, it really ends.

Bound by chains, the God of War took an attack that can cut the world apart. Cassandra didn't need to check if Kratos is alive or not. Even if he is a powerful soul, he could never survive an attack of that magnitude.

And the battle ends. It was known from the start who was going to win. Kratos could not beat him. No one can beat him as long as they do not possess the firepower to match.

"Oh?" Gilgamesh wondered, looking back at Cassandra. "So there was an audience after all. I understand how you want to observe my gallant figure, but I am done here for now. Unless you can show me anything interesting to do." He smiled.

"Soul Edge." Cassandra said quietly. She didn't know why she thought that, but she knew the man had the power to destroy Soul Edge once and for all.

* * *

(Ah, didn't expect that now did you? This chapter is mostly just a tribute to Gilgamesh vs. Berserker.)


	2. Introduction

"One thing that really confuses me. You want to destroy a demonic sword, yet you say your sister is actually defending it? What kind of messed up logic is that?" he asked the girl walking beside him.

"It's using her feelings for her children. If Soul Edge is destroyed, then so will the life of her children...or something like that." Cassandra replied, looking up at the golden knight ahead of her. "All I know is that Soul Edge is beyond these lands, some place called Ohstreinsburg...wherever that is." She shrugged.

Cassandra and Sophitia had only managed to thank their saviour briefly before the older sister ran off. Gilgamesh was told that at the moment, they weren't exactly working together for a common goal due to conflicting interests. Cassandra recognized the golden knight's potential, being able to defeat an opponent like the Spartan without even trying. If Cassandra alone didn't have the power to destroy Soul Edge, her new companion surely could. Barring the fact that he did mention that if he gets bored, he'll just leave whenever he wanted. She found him arrogant, yet Cassandra knew he had a right to be.

"Once we pass these borders, we'll be out of Greece. I don't really know where to start looking. Originally I thought I'd be able to go on a journey alone, but since you showed up, it's probably safer to travel with you." Said Cassandra.

"Obviously." He smirked, turning back to look at her. "But you should really consider a change of clothes. The one you're wearing right now really shows too much, even for my eyes."

"Yeah, well stop flaunting your armor first. Why'd you have to paint it gold anyways?" she frowned.

"To symbolize my uniqueness." He chuckled quietly to himself. "It's not every day you see someone wearing gold after all."

"Whatever. I'll change my clothes once we reach the nearest town. I have my other clothes in this pack anyways." Cassandra replied, tapping a small bag-like object she carried.

Gilgamesh snapped his fingers, the golden armor disappearing from him but replaced with a white shirt and black pants. A casual look since he wasn't exactly in a battle right now...and to show off a bit to the woman behind him.

"Oh wow..." Cassandra whispered, slightly at a loss for words. With his hair down, and without his extravagant armor, she found him really, really...good...looking? She shook her head, trying to clear the thought from her mind. She had to remember her place. The man standing in front of her was a demigod...but it wasn't exactly uncommon for a demigod to be with a human like her right? "Urp, why am I thinking these thoughts?" she sighed.

"Hold on." Said Gilgamesh, watching a figure approach the two. "It's been a while, 'Master.'" He smirked, looking at the man with the scythe who kneeled down in front of him. "Rise. You don't have to bow down to me every time you meet me. I do acknowledge you as my current Master after all."

"It is a habit, my lord." Zasalamel replied, rising up and seemingly ignoring Cassandra's presence. "I sense that you have been successful in your battle with the Spartan?" he asked.

"He wasn't difficult. I'd say probably around the difficulty of Heracles." Gilgamesh replied.

"You defeated the legendary Heracles before?" Cassandra asked with wonder.

Gilgamesh smiled again. "It is a really complicated story which I'll tell you later. At least Heracles had a much better time, actually breaking the chain I used before." He continued. "Anyways, I have a new directive now. The destruction of the demonic weapon known as Soul Edge."

"I see." Zasalamel replied. "There is also its twin blade, the one known as Soul Calibur. Along with its creator, the Hero King who is rumoured to have recently awakened."

"Interesting. This Hero King, I do certainly hope he could provide a little bit of a challenge at least." Gilgamesh said quietly. Summoned in this era, it seems he's going to have more fun than he realized.

"You two are weird." Cassandra said, feeling left out. Just as she was about to say something else, a bolt of lightning from the clear sky struck down, making her jump and hide behind Gilgamesh. What happened next was something that surprised her even more.

"Greetings." The old man said, approaching Gilgamesh from the lightning bolt that struck down. "I see it is you I should give thanks too for stopping my wayward son."

Both Gilgamesh and Zasalamel were definitely agitated by the man's presence. And somehow...even Cassandra herself felt a little bit of fear as well.

"Zeus, the king of the Greek Gods. What the hell do you want?" Gilgamesh frowned, glaring right back at the old man.

"Such insolence. I am only here to give you a warning regarding Kratos, the previous-"

Before Zeus could finish his words, a dozen bladed weapons appeared right behind Gilgamesh, shooting down straight at the ground where Zeus was standing on and barely missing on purpose.

"What is the meaning of this?!" the king of the gods said angrily.

"Oh don't act surprised. You may be the leader of the gods in this land but I refuse to listen or take orders from you. I do believe the age of the gods will end soon, once the Crimson Moon decides to eliminate you all. That, or the White Beast of Gaia." Gilgamesh shrugged, continuing to watch Zeus seethe with anger.

"Gaia is in Tartarus. All of the titans are in no position to threaten my seat of power." Zeus replied.

"I'm not talking about the titan." Said Gilgamesh, deciding not to pursue the topic any further. Let the god decide what to do when it appears before them. "You came here to give a warning. Tell me now before I get bored and decide to take on your whole pantheon." He continued.

Cassandra could only watch. They weren't on good terms with each other, that's for sure. She knew she should be standing up to Zeus, being one of her patron deities but considering the task the gods present to them, she was having second thoughts. It was their fault Sophitia had to go on the quest for Soul Edge after all.

"The Spartan you have defeated has escaped the Underworld almost as quickly as you killed him. It may probably be because of Hades not keeping a close enough watch on him but he is likely to try finding you again." Said Zeus, before another lightning bolt struck down, Gilgamesh watching the god disappear.

Gilgamesh shook his head soon after. "Let him try. I have more important business to take care of." He chuckled quietly to himself, before turning back towards his two companions. "You, Zasalamel. I need you to find a bit more information about what is happening with Soul Edge right now. While you..." he turned to Cassandra. "It's your decision if you wish to travel with me. Either way, you are the one who originally told me about that sword of disruption. I'm merely going to destroy it or take it for myself."

"I'd really suggest not taking it. It has a tendency to corrupt people from what I've heard." Cassandra replied. "Travelling with you would be safer on my part as well just in case."

"A corruption." Gilgamesh smirked. "If I shied away from the curses in this world, what kind of hero would I be?" he continued proudly, walking straight ahead of his companions before turning around again. "Suffer the corruption of that blade? If it thinks it can ruin me with a mere curse, then it better triple its strength. Maybe even more as it doesn't even compare to the curse held by the Holy Grail."

"A truly epic hero indeed." Said Zasalamel. "I do have one piece of information at least. In the land of Romania, a province known as Wallachia...rumours of a man who had begun tainting the populace. I heard that it is partially related to the powers of Soul Edge, but I have yet to confirm it."

"Then that's where we're headed." Gilgamesh replied, looking at Cassandra. "Zasalamel, find more information. Once we are certain of what's happening in the world, I will be making my move."

"As you wish." Zasalamel answered, walking away from the two before disappearing somehow in a quick puff of smoke. He knew some magic at least, allowing him to travel short distances without exerting himself.

"Well, shall we get going then?" Gilgamesh asked Cassandra.

"Of course. But don't you dare leave me alone. It's a long journey and we need supplies." Cassandra responded. "Let's see...from here to Romania...it's going to take a week or more if we go by foot. We don't have a horse so..."

"Who said anything about travelling on land?" Gilgamesh laughed. "We're going to fly through the air."

Cassandra frowned. "Fly through the air? What, do you have some miraculous ship that flies?"

Gilgamesh replied with a snap of his fingers. The familiar rift in the air appeared behind him but instead of the various weapons coming out, something much bigger was there. A sleek, gold and emerald coloured, ship-like object appeared, landing down just a few feet away from Gilgamesh.

"What...is...that?" asked Cassandra, not able to hide her surprised tone. She stepped back from the 'ship,' looking at it oddly and trying to comprehend what it was made of.

"In Indian Mythology, they called it 'Vimana.' A vessel used by the gods but in my case, I owned the original." He said proudly, the top of the ship seemingly opening up. "And yes, it does fly. I used it against Berserker's jet once after all."

"I don't even..." Cassandra muttered, still staring in awe at the magnificent object. A flying machine, huh? "Wait, where do I sit?" she asked.

"Yeah, about that. You probably won't like it, but it's not like you'll have much of a choice." Gilgamesh said, picking Cassandra up by the waist and jumping straight into the ship from the top, easily landing on a makeshift throne close to the top.

Cassandra looked around, trying to look for a place to sit, but there was barely any room on the floor and she'd be forced to lay down on her side to get as much space as possible. The only other option would be...

"I hope you don't mind sitting on my lap. It's a short trip really and I can't make more room here." Gilgamesh smirked.

This was not what Cassandra had in mind. Nevertheless, she wasn't complaining at the very least. "Keep your hands where I can see them, and don't you dare do anything perverted." She said anyways.

"Yeah, yeah. I hear you." Gilgamesh replied, the top of the ship coming down again. Cassandra may not know what a plane looked like considering that this was a far earlier time but it still must be quite jaw-dropping to see. "I don't believe we have had a proper introduction yet. As you know, my identity is Gilgamesh, the king of heroes." He smiled.

"Cassandra Alexandra, Greek...um....baker...no, warrior?" she responded, "Ugh, you just had to give yourself a title didn't you?"

"Oh don't worry about that. I care not for silly titles. Besides, I am merely your travelling companion for the time being." Gilgamesh answered, placing one arm around Cassandra. She didn't resist...but this definitely felt odd for him. Women would usually resist him unless he specifically ordered them not to. Cassandra was different. His other arm was on the arm rest of the throne inside the ship, snapping his fingers as his vehicle began moving up. Cassandra seemed to grip the arm around her tightly, watching the ground start moving further away as they moved up.

"Oh wow, this isn't a dream right?" she asked, looking down with a mesmerized expression. "We're actually floating above now?"

"What, you didn't believe me? Of course we're floating. And now we're flying." Gilgamesh continued, snapping his fingers as Vimana lurched forwards. It was fast alright, and it wouldn't take long before they reached Romania. The investigation of the events there should be interesting enough.


	3. Night of Wallachia

The flash of lightning illuminated the area with a silver flash, the rain starting to pour on the dark castle. In this land of almost perpetual darkness, this was actually quite typical, though it didn't matter much to the Lord of the Castle and any other inhabitants that resided within it.

"Come Amy, I wish to show you a new pet one of our servants had captured." The blonde-haired man said, looking down at a girl beside him, who promptly nodded her head and followed him.

The two were an odd pair, both quite pale in complexion because of a certain 'curse' they managed to embrace. Normally, the crimson hair of the girl was tied up in two curls, but at the moment, they seemed to be hanging down for some reason.

As the two made their way down to the castle dungeon, Amy looked back behind her, as if sensing amiss, Raphael placing a hand on her shoulder just to reassure her that nothing was wrong. Reaching the bottom, Amy looked towards a closed cell, the form of a woman with her wrists chained to the wall. She was a somewhat pretty woman, red-haired with a mole right below her lip. Unlike other women, she was dressed far more conservatively with armor covering much of her.

"A new toy for me to play with?" Amy asked.

"You can do whatever you want with this one as soon as she wakes up." Raphael nodded. "She should last a bit longer than the others. After all..." he paused, the sounds of footsteps could be heard coming down the dungeon. "What is it?" he looked behind, unamused.

"Master, strangers have arrived at the outskirts of town." The maid said quietly, bowing down in front of Raphael. "Foreigners from a distant land."

"Intriguing." Raphael chuckled. "There isn't much to do in the village if they visit. Why not invite them in?"

* * *

Getting off of the flying aircraft upon landing was short, and didn't require much thought. The top opened up, Gilgamesh jumping out with Cassandra hanging on to his neck. She didn't think something like that actually existed in the world though to be fair, half the things she saw in the past year shouldn't even exist in the first place. What did Gilgamesh call the aircraft again? Vimana, was it?

She watched with fascination as the aircraft disappeared, apparently returning to the 'Gate' that held the rest of the King of Heroes' items.

"Now, I believe we passed a village on the way here. That should be our first stop, and a way for you to change those... clothes." Gilgamesh chuckled lightly.

"For someone as extravagant as you, I can't see why you'd think I'm wearing something odd." Cassandra answered, crossing her arms.

"At risk of insulting you, you kind of look like a prost-"

WHAM!

Cassandra's fist, backed up with her shield collided with Gilgamesh's jaw and sent him sprawling backwards to the ground.

"How rude..." she muttered, walking away.

That hurt... for some reason. In a daze, Gilgamesh slowly picked himself up, trying to figure out what just happened. Cassandra's attack shouldn't have damaged him the way it did. Or at least, knock him away like that. Was her shield a conceptual weapon? Divine in origin? Something else entirely?

Regardless, he allowed Cassandra to lead the way to the village, taking note of the downcast look shown by the people who lived there. How odd...

The inn was as gloomy as the rest of the village, but it's not like they were going to stay there for too long. One room was rented. Monetary problems were virtually non-existent for him and his companion, as long as Gilgamesh was there to pay up with, well... basically anything he pulled out.

It didn't take long for Cassandra to change into the clothes she packed for this trip. Stepping out of the room, she at least was wearing a bit more compared to her last outfit. The ribbon tying her hair was gone so her short, blonde locks fell free. And at least she had the decency to wear a skirt and stockings for this trip.

"You sure that's going to provide adequate protection?" Gilgamesh asked.

"It's freedom of movement. I'm not going to wear some heavy armour like you." Cassandra replied. "Now come on, your 'Master' said there was a guy in this area corrupting the people here. We should probably look for information about that."

"No need, I already know what's happening in this area." Gilgamesh replied as they made their way out of the inn. "The symptoms being shown by some of these people point to there being a Dead Apostle in the vicinity, a vampire who 'rules' this land.

Cassandra gulped. Well, that was information she was surprised about. A vampire? Like a bloodsucker? "And how do you know this?" she asked, looking ahead of them as her gaze travelled up to a large castle in the distance.

Gilgamesh briefly took out a small pendant hanging around his neck and flashed a glance for Cassandra to see. "Sha Nagba Imuru, He Who Sees Everything." Said Gilgamesh, before the pendant disappeared. "One of my artifacts. It doesn't actually 'see' everything, but it does give me a lot of information if I want it."

"That's useful." Cassandra nodded. "So, any suggestions on where to start looking first?"

"Well, you are staring at it." Gilgamesh chuckled, looking up at the castle. It's still some distance away and they just need to get through a road to get there, but logically, that would be where the Dead Apostle was hiding itself. "Well, we may as well get going there. I'd rather not linger in this place for too long." He told her.

"Can't we just fly there with your ship?" Cassandra asked.

"No need to waste that on something so trivial." Gilgamesh answered. "Besides, you need exercise."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cassandra replied, glaring at him.

"Nothing important." Gilgamesh laughed quietly. "Anyways, let's head out. We're not supposed to be staying here for too long anyways."

* * *

"Two people, heading up here?" Raphael wondered, looking down from his vantage point on top of the castle. The rain had stopped, but it was still quite dark. "Either they're brave or they're ignorant of what has happened here." He chuckled, disappearing and readying himself to greet them.

He watched the pair knock on the front gates itself before the large door opened. One of his servants, idiotic enough as he was, immediately tried to lunge for the woman, only to meet a sword right through his face. This was going to turn ugly very quickly if Raphael didn't interfere.

The people who opened the door for the two were vampires alright, and Gilgamesh wasn't amused when one dared to make an attack.

"Hey! We came here peacefully!" Cassandra cried out, pulling out her short sword in defense.

"Ah, do not mind my servants. Some of them can get a little too excitable." A voice called out from above, Raphael stepping down a flight of stairs.

Looking up at the lord of the castle, Gilgamesh gave an arrogant little smirk, watching a young lady, probably barely past fifteen years of age, walk behind the man. "You should have told your servants to back off then. I would hate to see what happens if they anger me a bit more than now."

"Please accept our apologies." Raphael bowed upon reaching the main floor. "For compensation, may I invite you to dinner then? Your trip here must have taken a toll on you. Perhaps we can help you ease your tiredness?"

"No thanks, vampire." Gilgamesh replied with haste. "I'd rather not risk our lives being lured into a trap."

"Who are you people?" Raphael asked, narrowing his eyes. "If you already know what we are, then why bother coming to this place? You should have known that we'd try to lure you here eventually if you know what we are."

"Oh we're just here for information about a certain sword. You don't have to worry about us interfering with whatever you have planned for the people who live in that village outside." Said Gilgamesh. "Introductions then, you may call me, Archer. This is my companion, Cassandra Alexandra from the land of Greece."

"Uh, I was supposed to introduce myself. Don't take all the spotlight." Cassandra said, kicking the back of his foot without any actual effect.

"Well, in that regard, I believe it is time for our introduction. My name is Raphael Sorel, the master of this castle. This is my ward, Amy." The vampire said, motioning over to the young lady behind him, who nodded in response. "The rest of my servants, well... you don't need to know their names. They will tend to all of our needs. Come, this place isn't fitting for a proper conversation." He nodded, turning around as if to lead the way somewhere else.

"See? He introduced his lover as well." Gilgamesh told Cassandra.

"He said she was his ward, genius." Said Cassandra.

"Oh come on, you expect that kind of relationship to stay the same for vampires?" Gilgamesh chuckled, noting the exasperated sigh of their host in front of them as they followed. He seemed not to correct him about it, which further proved his point.

"Here we are at the dining room. Make yourself at home and take a seat on a chair if you wish." Raphael told them.

"As I've said before, don't worry too much about it. We don't plan to stay very long." Gilgamesh replied, though nonetheless, he still sat down at the chair facing Raphael with a bored-looking Cassandra behind him. "If you don't mind, can my companion take a look around this castle? She seems... bored." Gilgamesh asked their gracious host.

"Alone? What if someone attacks me?" Cassandra responded.

"Not to worry, I promise none of my servants will do anything of the sort." Raphael chuckled.

"And if anything does happen, I wouldn't give a second thought on destroying this place. Trust me, I can." Said Gilgamesh.

"Very well then." Raphael nodded, watching Cassandra storm off, again, annoyed by Gilgamesh's seeming lack of care. Once she was out the side door, he chuckled. "You two make an odd pair."

Gilgamesh shrugged. "She chose to accompany me. And apparently she has something against the sword we are looking for. Of course, she's also easy on the eyes so I can permit her to be in my presence."

"So Archer, why are you looking for Soul Edge? Haven't you heard the rumours?" Raphael asked, deciding to get straight to the point.

"Rumours about it being a sword of salvation or rumours that call it a sword of ruin?" Gilgamesh replied. "Either way, I don't particularly care about the sword itself as long as I can keep it in my... collection. I believe there's also the existence of a second blade, Soul Calibur was it not?"

"Yes, I had been searching for it recently too. Without much luck in the matter." Said Raphael. "I have reason to believe that it is related to a so-called Holy Stone that had been reversing the effects of my curse on the people in this region. It's a bit annoying, having all your hard work undone." He sighed.

"The Holy Stone isn't something I'd care to know about. But you do seem to know about the two swords I am looking for. Care to point me in a direction to where you think they may be?"

"The last time I fought a wielder of Soul Edge was in Ostrheinsburg Chapel somewhere in the land of Germany. That is also where I originally received this... curse of the blood." Raphael answered, looking back at Gilgamesh. "That was a few months ago of course. A few weeks ago, I tried to look for Soul Calibur, but I returned empty-handed so I can't help you there."

"Then I shall head to Ostrheinsburg to look for clues then. Your hospitality will not go unrewarded." Gilgamesh told him, standing up and looking around. "If you don't mind, please help me look for my companion. I did say we weren't going to stay here for too long."

"That's simple enough. I'll get Amy to look for her." Raphael said, looking down to his right... only to find that the young lady had disappeared. "Or my other servants. If I know Amy, she's probably watching that woman closely. Ah! Have I mentioned your companion and I have met once before? I do recall meeting her in a fight, though I don't think she remembers me."

"Interesting to know... nevertheless, still quite boring." Said Gilgamesh.

* * *

"God, those guys are annoying." Cassandra muttered to herself, walking down a flight of stairs without really paying attention to where she was going. Annoyed with Gilgamesh, annoyed with the vampire, annoyed by the fact that it's like she was being treated as someone who was just... there and not doing anything important.

Upon reaching the bottom of the staircase, Cassandra began looking around. It was dark, with few torches on the walls that illuminated the tunnel ahead. She can, however, see the jail cells that littered the sides. Was this a dungeon? Sensing movement, Cassandra froze. It came from one of the cells.

"If you are going to kill me, do it now. Don't keep me here waiting." A voice coughed out, a bit weakly, but still filled with resolve.

"Eh?" Cassandra said, looking to the right and noticing a young woman with her arms chained to the wall. "What happened here?" she asked.

"You're not one of them." The woman asked, looking up with some difficulty.

"You mean those vampires? Of course not. Come on, I'll get you out of there." Cassandra said, taking her sword out and cutting the chains that bound her wrists. The woman fell to the ground, obviously quite weak and needed some treatment.

"This is unacceptable." A dull voice called out behind Cassandra as she turned to face the familiar look of the young lady who had been beside Raphael sometime ago. "She was brought here as my new plaything. You have no right to take it away." Amy said, her rapier already pulled out.

"She was chained up! You expect me to just stand by and do nothing?" Cassandra replied, trying to help the woman up as she glared at Amy. There wasn't much space to move around in if the young lady decided to attack. "And besides, didn't your master say I'm not going to be harmed?"

"You're wrong on two accounts. First of all, he's not just my master. Second of all, he said that his servants aren't going to harm you. I'm not a ser-" Amy was interrupted by a sudden kick to the abdomen, sending her falling back.

"Come on!" Cassandra dragged her newest companion up the flight of stairs she came from. She knew at least that they had to get away from this castle. Gilgamesh can take care of himself so she wasn't at all worried about him.

Upon reaching the ground floor again and turning a corner, Cassandra and her companion bumped into someone by accident and tripped on the floor. "Ow!" Cassandra cried out, falling face-first.

"You seemed to have quite a bit of fun when I was gone." Gilgamesh said, lowering his head. "And you've made a new friend too." He chuckled as Cassandra got back up.

"That woman is Amy's pet. I'm not allowing this property to just be stolen." Raphael said, getting a bit angry watching as Amy made her way up the stairs, a little injured. "You two have overstayed your welcome, I suggest you leave."

"Gilgamesh, we can't let this woman stay here. She's weak, she needs help." Cassandra pleaded.

"How about a trade then?" Gilgamesh smirked, calmly staring back at Raphael. The vampire's crimson eyes, a bit furious while Gilgamesh's stare seemed to radiate a bit of arrogance with what could happen. "The woman, for a sword in my possession fitting for a vampire such as yourself, right?"

"A life is not worth a weapon." Raphael said. "I suggest just leaving the woman here now." He continued, bringing out his rapier and pointing it at Gilgamesh.

"And are you threatening me with that?" Gilgamesh wondered, snapping his fingers. "It's not like I'm giving you much of a choice." He said darkly, the sharp edges of various weapons appearing in the space behind him. Not just a couple or a dozen, much more than anything else Raphael had ever seen.

"My god..." the vampire said, the sight of the weapons floating behind Gilgamesh nearly overwhelming him. He relaxed, lowering his weapon. Even he knew not to challenge someone who had this amount of firepower. "I may not like it, but I have no choice but to accept your offer."

Gilgamesh smirked, the weapons disappearing except for one. Raphael felt them didn't he? They weren't illusions, the very presence of those weapons floating behind him permeated the air itself. "Well, that wasn't so bad was it? At least you knew when to quit." he said, grabbing the single sword left from his collection and handing it to Raphael. The longsword had a serpentine blade with an odd, skull-shaped hilt. "A blade that drains your enemies of their precious lifeblood. I have no use for something like this, therefore I can give this to you." Gilgamesh nodded, handing the sword to Raphael before turning to leave. "Come Cassandra, we have no more business here. I have already found our next destination." He said.

"Wait." Amy said, approaching. "I'm coming with you."

"Amy..." Raphael said, a bit shocked.

"Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather not have someone who was going to make a meal of me travel with us." Cassandra frowned.

"I wasn't going to make a meal of you, just punish you." Amy said.

"Oh don't be so scared of her." Gilgamesh chuckled. "The more, the merrier."

"There's three women going to be travelling with you. I'd say that's far too much already." Cassandra argued.

"Jealous much?" Gilgamesh replied, causing Cassandra to tear at her hair in frustration.

"Me and this woman are going to get some help for her in the village. You can stay here and chat, just make sure that flying ship of yours is ready." Cassandra pouted, leading the way out.

And as this happened, Raphael and Amy looked at them with a blank expression. It was almost comedic to watch.

"Oh don't worry, I'm going to make sure no harm will come to your lover." Gilgamesh teased. "Assuming she still wants to stick around with us."

Giving out a quick sigh and ignoring Gilgamesh's accusations, Raphael nodded to Amy. "Take care then. I'd go with you as well, but I have business to attend to in this land. And I had been away for the past few weeks." He continued.

* * *

(Author's Notes: This story isn't exactly that high on my list of things to finish. If you want me to continue this with more regularity, leave reviews. *nod* And... I haven't exactly discussed character pairings have I? Anyways, here goes if you're interested: Raphael/Amy, Siegfried/Hilde, and last but not least, Gilgamesh/Cassandra. )


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